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Rugby-Bledisloe guarantees no dead rubber as ailing Wallabies host All Blacks

Australia and New Zealand have no opportunity of winning the Rugby Champion after losing three of four matches up until now this season but the coveted Bledisloe Cup guarantees that Saturday's test will be anything but a dead rubber.

The Wallabies have not held the sign of trans-Tasman Sea rugby supremacy given that 2002 and look unlikely to make the breakthrough this year by beating the All Blacks in Sydney on Saturday and again in Wellington next week.

The record nine-try, 67-27 hammering they suffered at the hands of Argentina 2 weeks ago sent Australian rugby spiralling into brand-new depths of torment and back-to-back tests versus the All Blacks is most likely not what they required next.

New Zealand have lost just one of their last 12 tests versus Australia and have actually won their last four versus the Wallabies in Sydney by substantial margins. In shift under new coach Scott Robertson, they may have had a mediocre campaign up until now in the competition they have won 20 times however that will not lessen their desire to get one over on their neighbours.

World Cup finalists in 2015, the All Blacks were not too away the rate in their two losses to the world champ Springboks in South Africa and Robertson's focus ahead of Saturday's clash was practically tightening up a couple of things.

We wish to end up well. We're developing so much and produced a lot of chances in South Africa that we didn't perform, Robertson said on Thursday after calling his group.

So execution is on top of our mind, however we just want a really good energy over here, make sure we develop off what we have actually done before but be a bit more ruthless.

The task for Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt looks a lot harder, even if his group may be motivated to make popular prop James Slipper a winner in his 140th test as he ends up being Australia's most capped gamer.

Schmidt understands the All Blacks well having actually signed up with Ian Foster's training staff for last year's World Cup project, and he spoke at length about the quality of their players after calling his Wallabies side on Thursday.

I understand their strengths and I know their weaknesses, they probably have a lot less of those than they do strengths, the New Zealander said.

They were an excellent group. However I really delight in these guys I'm working with now.

Schmidt, in plain contrast to his predecessor Eddie Jones, has actually shied away from making any promises or predictions since he took over at the start of the season, preferring to focus on the procedure of rebuilding the young team.

The Bledisloe is a huge trophy. It's something that I understand the All Blacks treasure and the Wallabies want to treasure, he stated on Thursday.

It would be terrific if they might at least get a hand on it and keep it conscious Wellington.

However I think what we've been dealing with is simply trying to do aspects of the game better, instead of discussing anything that's result focused.

(source: Reuters)